Escaping Destiny (2 page)

He growled against my mouth as his wings
caressed my naked shoulders, softer than silk against my flesh. Air
came easily as he encouraged the kiss. My hands felt his power as
it sparked against the flesh of my palms. His brands even pulsed
with it, and my own reacted to it by pulsing and throbbing in
response. I moved to step away from him, but his hands lowered to
my back and held me there, locked against him.

“I expect you to give me control, Sorcha. You
will pleasure me only. You are a Transitioned Fae now. You look of
it, and I can smell it on you. I won’t damage you, not when I can
easily starve you of air, which will no longer kill you, but I
promise it will not be pleasurable. Do you understand what I am
saying?” He asked as his fingers crept up to touch the torque
around my throat.

“If I don’t please you, I don’t breath.”

“Yes,” he replied as his hand wrapped around
the back of my neck, sending a feeling of hopelessness down my
spine. “You will feed me, and pleasure me as is my right. For the
blood oath your parents violated, I will seek to punish you. Unlike
what many think, you will like my punishments. I know a lot about
punishments. There’s a fine line between pain and pleasure, and I
promise to make you dance on the line between them if you fight
me,” he whispered with a growl that sent shivers of fear racing
down my spine.

I swallowed heavily as fear crept into my
veins. “I had no control over what they did. I was only a
child.”

His lips curved into a wicked smile that was
at odds with the hard look in his eyes. He lowered his mouth and
pressed his lips against my ear before whispering softly, “Hence,
why you are still alive, little one. Had you participated in their
plans to thwart me, I would have already killed you, Sorcha.”

“Syn,” I whispered back, not daring to move
from the gentle embrace I was wrapped into against his hard
body.

“We will sin, of that I assure you. When I am
done with you, you will want no other man. That much I promise
you.”

“What is it you want from me exactly, besides
someone to warm your bed?” I asked, unable to stop the words from
coming out.

“This,” he said, and once again I couldn’t
breathe, couldn’t think past the need for air. He’d taken it all
from me, and my lungs burned with fire. I turned my wide eyes to
his and watched as he licked his lips. I moved without hesitation.
I kissed him, picturing Ryder as I did so. Would he hate me when I
submitted to the Horde King? Would he even want me after I’d lain
with the King? There was no way I would be able to get away from
him; not before he took me, anyway.

I wasn’t an idiot. I knew this beautiful
creature planned to take me to his bed tonight. I could feel the
anticipation in his touch, in his kiss. He liked playing God, and
right now, he was. He was giving me air with his kiss, and I wasn’t
going to be an idiot and suffocate. If I planned to live, I would
need to play by this man’s rules—for now.

When he finally broke the kiss and pulled
away from me, a look passed between us. I got it, he was in
control, and if I wanted to make it through this unscathed, I was
going to have to give him what he wanted.

“Are you mine, Sorcha, and only mine?” he
asked quietly as his hand cupped my chin.

“I am yours in body, but my soul will never
be yours,” I answered honestly.

His liquid black eyes searched my face for
something, and must have decided against demanding more at this
moment, because his wings parted and the brightness of the room
blinded me briefly. He continued to watch me before he shouted an
order.

“Bring the chains for the Princess,” he said
to his guards, who were covered from head to toe in a type of form
fitting black armor that was light-weight, but looked strong enough
to be effective. They all wore black cloaks over the armor and
their eyes were the only visible sign that there was a sentient
being behind the mask of the helmet. The first male stepped up and
took my hands to slip thin silver cuffs onto each wrist, while the
other slipped a delicate silver chain that looked as if it would be
easily broken, through the catch of one cuff, and then the other.
When he was done, I tested them and was shocked at how strong they
seemed.

Well shit, it wasn’t looking like I would be
getting away from the King unscathed, or without chains. I inhaled
slowly and then let it out even slower. My heart was thundering
with what was happening. It really was looking like I was on my own
now.

The Horde shouted with cheers when their king
was handed the length of chain that connected to the cuffs on my
wrists. I turned a panicked look at Adam, and blinked as he
disappeared from sight, only to appear in front of me as he pushed
me back and away from the Horde King.

He moved so quickly that I was having a hard
time keeping my eyes on him. It took me a few minutes to figure out
that he was trying to sift me away from the Horde King. He was
shouting, and I couldn’t quite make out what he was saying as he
repeatedly disappeared, only to reappear and try again.

“Adam!” I shouted as the Horde King moved to
attack him. He would be killed!

“I can’t let this happen to you, Syn!” Adam
shouted as he gave up trying to sift me out and shielded my body
with his own. I watched in horror as the deadly wing of the Horde
King took aim, and moved with dire intent toward Adam’s heart. Adam
was immortal, but as I had seen with Liam, the Horde King could do
things that other Fae couldn’t.

“No!” I cried, allowing the King to hear the
terrified plea that filled my voice.

The entire room was silent, as if someone had
flipped a switch, and turned all the sound off. The only sound was
the beating of my heart as it shattered for Adam, and what he’d
just tried to do. I stood behind him with my eyes closed as I
listened to the steady drumbeat of my heart that was pounding in my
ears.

“Boy,” the Horde King snarled, which forced
me to open my eyes. He held Adam by his dark colored shirt, his
spiked wing inches from my best friend’s heart. “Kier, I suggest
you take your son home, and teach him the ways of our people.
Explain to him the exact details of our alliance. It might allow
him to make better choices in the future.”

“As you wish,” Kier said grimly, grasping on
to Adam as the Horde King shoved him away. I watched in silence as
Adam turned a look of panic in my direction.

“Go; I’ll be okay,” I told him, and blinked
back tears as Kier tightened his grip on Adam and sifted them both
out of the room.

I shivered, as the Horde King’s guards took
up positions around me in case anyone else tried to save me. My
hands were bound by magical chains. The tingle of the spell that
they had been enchanted with was palpable against my flesh.

“Remove the necklace, and replace it with
mine,” The Horde King demanded in a tense tone.

My mother stepped up hesitantly and removed
the thin necklace with the ruby on it that had kept me from just
sifting away. She then replaced it with one he manifested and
handed to her. It was thin platinum, bearing a small silver disc
with what must be an insignia for the Horde etched into the face. I
barely glimpsed it, before it rested against my throat. When she
had finished placing it on me, she stepped back but lifted her hand
to cup my cheek reassuringly.

“We have much to discuss, Alazander. Your
guards can watch my daughter while we go over the agreements.
Entertainment and a feast will be provided for those guests who
wish to indulge,” my father said with a note of deference in his
voice as he sidled up to stand beside my mother. I could see he was
keeping his eyes down, so the Horde King wouldn’t see how much this
entire situation was angering him.

“You think I should keep up my end of the
agreement after you so boldly broke the one we had?” Alazander
growled angrily. My father’s eyes snapped up to meet the Horde
Kings. “That I wish to remain for feasting and entertainment after
I was forced to wait more than twenty years for what you should
have willingly brought me then?”

“I’m willing to give up a few more things to
secure peace, if that is your wish. The war, however, needs to
cease. The good of Faery must be considered, and each Caste must be
willing to make sacrifices for the greater good.”

“Show me what you propose,” Alazander
demanded as he indicated with his hand for my father to lead.

“Let me start the entertainment, and we can
discuss it over the feast that has been prepared for tonight. There
will also be Humans for those of your breed that can feed without
killing.”

Feast? I blinked, surely they wouldn’t…my
father snapped his fingers, and side doors opened and a large group
of Humans, who looked very well-kept, walked out and stood in a
line. The men and women kept their eyes downcast and their posture
stiff. A buzz of nervous excitement seemed to surround them.

“What the hell?” I asked before I could think
better of it.

“They are guests in our kingdom that my
brother brought back here. They requested to come to Faery. They
are happy, and never mistreated here, Synthia. I’d like to keep it
that way,” he said as he narrowed his eyes on the Horde King.

As far as I knew, the Blood Fae didn’t go
into the human world very often. Or, that was what I’d been told.
But then, the Horde King had been missing, and well he’d just
popped up in time to claim me. Fae fucking games.

“Your daughter will be seated beside me, my
guards will stay both beside and behind us while we indulge in your
celebration,” the Horde King said, pulling on the silver chain that
was secured to my wrists. I went willingly to him until I was
inches from his chest.

This seemed to satisfy him, and I followed
him a few short steps to where a long table with a rich crimson
coverlet materialized before us. Ornate, high-backed oak chairs
surrounded the table, and he indicated that I should be seated in a
chair that was pulled out with magic, next to the largest and most
ornate chair that seemed to dominate and preside over the rest of
the seating arrangement. I took my seat as he expected, and it
wasn’t until the Horde King noticed my father waiting, that he
narrowed his eyes on me and spoke to his guards.

“To me,” he said barely above a whisper, and
a contingent of his guards decked in black armor sifted to him,
“five of you protect what is mine. The others come with me.”

I watched as he and the rest of his men
walked with my father to another table that had also not been there
as I’d been presented to the Horde. My father unrolled a giant
scroll across it, and he and the Horde King began discussing the
terms. I wondered with a queasy feeling if it had been one of those
parchments made from the skin of traitors, or if it was made
through less painful means. I scooted up against the main table,
which seemed to please my new guards. The table continued to “set”
itself as large gold chargers and gold cutlery appeared before us.
Well, that was a good sign that at least there would be more than
Humans for dinner.

I hid my hands under the table, and quickly
gave a nudge at the bodice, popping the toothpick dagger out of
place and lifted the skirt of the dress, to discreetly slide the
dagger out. I held it in my hands briefly, before dropping it to
the floor, and kicking it away from myself, and down the length of
the table. There was no way in hell I was getting busted with that
thing by Alazander. He’d just suck the air from my lungs, and I’d
be unable to use it on him, and be utterly fucked in the
process.

“Synthia,” Madisyn breathed with a look of
horror in her eyes. She’d been the only one to notice what I’d just
done.

“Not like that,” I shook my head, knowing the
guards were listening to the exchange.

She lowered her eyes and exhaled slowly. “Is
he to your liking?” she asked.

“He is what Liam said he was.”

She started to reply to my words, but a
scream tore through the room, shattering the calm that had settled
over it as the Horde began selecting Humans. I was instantly on my
feet, but rough hands shoved me back down into the chair I’d just
left.

“Stay seated,” a rough voice said as
startling gray and aqua blue eyes held mine.

“He’s hurting her,” I snapped.

“She’s feeding him,” he retorted. “She will
scream in pleasure soon enough, Princess.”

“What kind of sick shit—”

“Is there a problem?” Alazander said, taking
the seat beside me. He settled in easily, even though his giant
wings should have caused him some issues with taking his seat.

“He’s hurting her,” I answered, unsure of how
he would react. This was the creature that sent his own victims
back to their families broken and in pieces.

The victim in question chose that moment to
start screaming in pleasure. I couldn’t stop the blush that heated
my cheeks, or the bulging of my eyes as I watched the couple
fornicate against the wall, oblivious to everyone watching them. I
watched, unable to tear my eyes from where the Fae was drinking her
blood as he thrust his need between her thighs. It was hard to tell
if he was actually Horde or one of the Blood Fae from my vantage
point.

“She seems to be finding pleasure now,” the
Horde King said with a twinge of amusement in his dark eyes.

I tore my eyes away from the couple and
looked at my hands clasped tightly together in my lap, to stop the
involuntary quaking. The men behind me snorted and laughed as more
cries of pleasure erupted around the room. This was so not cool;
definitely not a dinner party I’d ever sign up for.

“Gather the Elite Guard, we’re almost done
here,” The Horde King said in a soft voice to the guard that stood
closest to him.